Fifty-seven varieties of Fascism?
There are at least that many Each country developing Fascism seems to be taking special pains to be original and offer as distinctive a brand as any on the market. Public sympathies are fickle, public appetite gets jaded. Italian Black Shirts, German National Socialists, American Silver Shirts, and all the other factions of this sinister brotherhood go out of their way to introduce a novel note in the tune.
Not to be outdone, Austria is at work too, forging her own variety of Fascism, and the examination of its features leads one to believe that it tends toward the restoration of monarchy.
Austria, patterned according to Heimwehr whims, must be a Catholic state. The emphasis is for the purpose of spiting Nazi Germany where Catholicism and other religions are not faring happily. An intensive religious program has been introduced in schools which are charged with the duty of seeing that students attend services regularly. On Sundays and holidays the so-called “field masses” out of doors have been initiated, and pupils are “recommended” to attend.
For the time being the Austrian dictatorship is rather diluted. Most of its wishes are “recommended.” The brutal frankness of the Nazis is yet to emerge. As in the days of the Hapsburgs when students were “advised” to wear certain types of uniform to festive functions, today workers and other employes are “advised” to enroll in official labor organizations. It is “recommended” to give preference in allocating employment to the Heimwehr membership. It is “recommended” to the newspapers to support the Fatherland Front. And so on, down the line.
We may mention in passing that the Fatherland Front, which brought about the abolition of all other parties, just as the “united front” in Germany, Italy and elsewhere was formed after the dissolution of other political groups, is enjoying a monopoly as “spokesman for the people.”
It is the surest refuge in these days of peril. As a result of its qualities of a haven its ranks are constantly swelling. There are about 2,000,000 members now. This in a country with a total population of 6,000,000. There is no doubt that it is giving asylum to numerous Nazi sympathizers as well as Social Democrats.
The powers that be are somewhat uneasy at this tempestuous expansion of the Fatherland Front, their own creation. In fact, one of the closest collaborators of Chancellor Dollfuss, Captain Reichel, in his recent address to the “responsible” officers of the Fatherland Front, has given expression to the discomfort occasioned at the top of the Austrian hierarchy, when he declared that not all of the membership will be called to become the upbuilders of the new state.
“From the whole mass,” declared the Chancellor’s aide, “there will be singled out some 150,000, 200,000 at the most, the one-hundred per cent, followers of the Fatherland Front, those who comprehend the program in its entirety. They will be the upbuilders of the New Austria.”
As an afterthought, the speaker added: “It will be in the nature of a vanguard of the Fascist Army.”
A Fascist state is being forged, no doubt of that. “Huldinung” is taking root as an institution. It consists of outdoor honors to the leaders. The custom is spreading into the provinces, where in the absence of bigwigs, smaller fry is feted, often including commanders of local Storm Troopers, or, where available, members of the former imperial family.
Yes, indeed. Hapsburgs are coming into their own as guests of honor. The legitimists are seeing to that. The legitimists are of late treading with a firmer step, their heads higher. This is also to spite Hitler, who recently showed the monarchists their place, in a rather mild manner, to be sure. In Austria, at parades and other military displays, members of the government, in full state regalia, order special honors for the attending titled personages, who are officially greeted with speeches.
This is something new in the sixteen years since Austria was proclaimed a republic. Today her ministers openly avow their monarchistic inclinations, write learned dissertations on the necessity of restoring the Hapsburg throne.
L. Z.
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